March 7

AM: 2 x 6k @ goal marathon pace or faster with 6:00 jog recovery - 14 miles
PM: 4 miles easy

This was a tough workout today. With almost 60 miles in my legs over the last three days, any kind of hard effort was going to pose a challenge.

I opted for 2 x 6k, but on the WaDuke trail. In short, the WaDuke trail offers a lot of the same features as Boston but compressed into a 6k dirt loop. It starts with a half-mile downhill to make your legs feel like cube steak, continues with a steady barrage of rolling hills throughout the course, and then finishes with another climb that's just over a half mile long. I was shooting for 21 minutes for the loops, so when I came in a little fast for the first one, just 17 seconds shy of my fastest lap ever, I knew the second rep was going to be tough. It was, but I'm really happy with the effort today for a long workout on my own (Splits: 20:24, 20:50).

Interestingly enough, I went out for another half-hour shake-out run in the evening and felt awesome. Maybe it's all of the afternoon spring break naps? I've run 76 miles in the last four days, which has to be close to an all-time high for me, so it's a pleasant surprise to be feeling this fresh and excited about running and training.